Project Background:

SAYWHAT and WILD in a consortium with SC Norway are implementing an EU funded project/action whose main goals are;

• To enhance the capacity of youth-led civil society organizations (CSOs), including those for young women and people in policy dialogue and effective representation at local and national levels, thereby contributing to good governance and development in Zimbabwe, and
• To support youth economic empowerment by creating an enabling environment for green jobs and digital inclusion, ensuring youth participation in governance and policy dialogue

The primary outcome of this project is to enhance the capacity of youth organizations in effective advocacy, policy dialogue, and good governance practices, with a target of selected organizations demonstrating improved capacity, and to promote creativity and innovation among young people, including Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from 15 to 29 years of age.

In relation to objective 1, the project seeks to enhance the operational and internal capacity of youth-led civil society organizations, focusing on organizational development, strategic planning, and resource mobilization, and to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance practices within youth organizations, ensuring their sustainability and effectiveness in delivering their mandates.

In that regard, the consortium is requesting for Expression of Interest (EOI) from the most suited consultants in Zimbabwe.

Purpose of the Consultancy:

The consultancy aims to create and deliver an in-depth training package on CSO governance for selected youth-led CSOs in Zimbabwe. Participants will gain essential knowledge, skills, and tools to foster transparency, accountability, and good governance. The program will empower Youth CSOs to adopt good governance practices, fostering organizational stability, accountability, and long-term sustainability.

Scope of Work:

The Consultant will be responsible for the following:

1. Training Needs Assessment

• Conduct a review of the capacity assessment key findings, which identified specific governance training needs of the 40 selected youth-led CSOs with varying backgrounds and settings from 10 districts and 6 provinces in Zimbabwe.

2. Curriculum Development

• Develop a comprehensive and participatory training curriculum on Core Governance and Organizational Development, tailored to the identified needs and the Zimbabwean context.
• The curriculum should cover introductory topics such as:
  • Understanding Good Governance:
    • Principles and practices of good governance.
    • Importance of good governance for CSOs.
    • Legal and regulatory frameworks for CSOs in Zimbabwe especially laws affecting CSOs.
  • Strategic Planning and Leadership:
    • Developing a clear mission, vision, and values.
    • Strategic planning processes.
    • Effective leadership and decision-making.
  • Organizational Structures and Roles:
    • Defining roles and responsibilities for board members, staff, and volunteers.
    • Building effective teams and committees.
    • Succession planning.
  • Connecting Governance and Finance:
    • The Board’s Role in Financial Oversight:
      • Understanding the board’s fiduciary responsibilities.
      • Establishing financial policies and procedures.
      • Monitoring financial performance and ensuring accountability.
      • Developing fundraising strategies, donor engagement plan, and proposal development.
    • Ethical Considerations in Financial Decision-Making:
      • Avoiding conflicts of interest.
      • Ensuring transparency and financial accountability and fairness in financial transactions.
      • Upholding ethical standards in fundraising and resource allocation.
    • Connecting Governance Risk Management and Financial Sustainability:
      • Understanding, Identifying and mitigating financial risks.
      • Developing contingency plans for financial challenges.
      • Ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the CSO.
      • Role of Board in budgeting and financial planning.
    • Connecting Governance and Human Resource Management:
      • Role of Board recruitment, selection, and onboarding.
      • Role of Board in performance management and development.
      • Role of Board in employee safeguarding issues.
      • Role of Board in Staff welfare and safeguarding.

• Training Materials Development
  • Develop all necessary training materials, including presentations, handouts, case studies, and practical exercises. Materials should be accessible and engaging for young people.

3. Training Delivery

• SAYWHAT will be responsible for covering the following costs related to the venue, meals, and other needs for the implementation of the training, media etc.
• The Consultant shall follow-up on action plans developed and status of scaling.
• The Consultant shall facilitate interactive and participatory training workshops for selected youth-led CSOs.
• The training should be conducted in a format that is conducive to learning and encourages active participation.
• The Consultant shall develop all necessary training materials, including presentations, handouts, case studies, and practical exercises. Materials should be accessible and engaging for young people.

4. Post-Training Support

• Provide post-training support to participants, such as mentoring, coaching, or access to online resources.
• Reporting
• Submit a comprehensive report on the training, including a summary of the training content, participant feedback, and recommendations for future training activities.

5. Deliverables:

• Inception Report outlining the needs assessment methodology and proposed training curriculum.
• Comprehensive training curriculum and materials.
• Facilitation of training workshops.
• Post-training support plan.
• Final training report.

6. Timeline

• The consultancy is expected to be carried out for approximately 25 working days, spread across the period from 27 March to 10 April 2025.
• The consultant will then have an additional 14 days, until 24 April 2025, to finalize and submit the training report.
• A detailed and specific timeline with specific milestones and deadlines will be agreed upon with the selected consultant at the start of the consultancy.

7. Target Group

Selected youth-led CSOs in Zimbabwe.

8. Target Provinces and Districts

• Harare Metropolitan
• Bulawayo Metropolitan
• Manicaland (Chipinge, Chimanimani, Mutare Urban
• Matabeleland South (Matobo, Gwanda, Beitbridge)
• Matabeleland North (Binga)
• Mashonaland West (Kariba/Nyaminyami)

9. Consultant Qualifications

• The Consultant should have the following qualifications and experience –

• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., social sciences, law, political science, social work, development studies, communications, management).
• Demonstrated experience in designing and delivering training programs for CSOs, particularly youth-led organizations, with a focus on advocacy.
• Strong understanding of the Zimbabwean political and social context, including the civil society landscape and the challenges faced by youth-led CSOs.
• Experience working directly with young people and youth-led organizations.
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to adapt training materials to the specific needs of the target group.
• Fluency in English and at least one other local language.
• Experience in conducting training needs assessments and developing comprehensive training curricula.
• Knowledge of good governance principles and practices.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating training programs to assess impact and effectiveness.

10. Application Process

• Interested consultants should submit the following:
• Expression of Interest (EOI)
  • A brief cover letter outlining their interest and suitability for the consultancy, highlighting relevant experience and qualifications.
• Technical Proposal

11. The technical proposal should include:

• A detailed methodology responding to the Terms of Reference (ToR) and deliverables, highlighting relevant experience and competencies.
• A work plan with a clear timeline, including delivery dates.
• CVs of the consultant/consulting team, outlining their specific roles.
• Contact information for three professional referees.
• The technical proposal should not exceed 10 pages, excluding annexes
• A detailed proposal outlining their approach to the consultancy, including the proposed methodology, training curriculum outline, and timeline.

12. Financial Proposal

• A detailed budget outlining all costs associated with the consultancy, including consultant fees, travel expenses, training materials, and other related costs.

13. Curriculum Vitae

• A detailed CV demonstrating relevant experience and qualifications.
• At least two traceable references with contact information

14. Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Technical expertise and experience (30%)
• Proposed methodology and training curriculum (30%)
• Financial proposal (20%)
• Relevant experience in the Zimbabwean context (20%)

15. Submission Deadline

Applications should be received no later than 21 March 2025 at 1300hrs

16. Contact Information:

• Applications should be submitted electronically to tenders@saywhat.org.zw with “Consultancy – Advocacy Training for youth-led organizations” in the subject line.
• Only shortlisted applicants shall be contacted.
• All questions or clarifications of a technical nature are to be sent to tenders@saywhat.org.zw no later than 17 March, 1600Hrs